Chiefs defender Rushwin Dortley eyes strong comeback

The young player has had a tough journey to recovery but is ready to fulfil his aspirations. By Yanga Sibembe

- By Yanga Sibembe

One moment Rushwin Dortley was living a fairy tale-like life, playing for one of the biggest clubs in Africa — Kaizer Chiefs.

He had also managed to establish himself as a vital cog in Hugo Broos’s Bafana Bafana team just months after joining Chiefs.

The Belgian is not an easy person to impress, but Dortley quickly convinced Broos to make him part of his plans. By all accounts, the Cape Town-born defender was on top of the world.

Then, in March, his fairy tale was shattered by a serious knee injury during a league match against Mamelodi Sundowns. It required surgery and sidelined him for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.

Injuries are a part of sport, especially one as physical as soccer. Nevertheless, it was a disappointing development after the player's stocks had risen drastically throughout the first half of last season, thanks to his commanding performances in the backline.

Uncharted territory

Dortley (23) had never experienced such a serious injury, and at the time it happened he was one of the few shining lights in a struggling Chiefs team. As a result, he had to watch from the sidelines as Amakhosi toiled in the Premiership, eventually finishing ninth.

He featured in just one match of Amakhosi’s successful Nedbank Cup campaign last season — the 3-0 win over Chippa United in the round of 16. In the end, Amakhosi didn’t need Dortley, as they ended a 10-year trophy drought by beating Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates 2-1 in the final of the Cup.

Amakhosi’s long-awaited silverware success brought mixed feelings for Dortley. On the one hand, he was elated to be part of this Chiefs group that had finally ended the side’s barren trophy run.

But Dortley was disappointed not to have played a major part in their success.